Title: Ezekiel's Vision
Content ?37:15-23
bsp; Today we are celebrating the 66th anniversary of liberation. The word 'liberation' means the restoration of light. In reality, however, we were liberated from Japanese imperialism, but without any preparation on our own, the liberation came by a foreign force, and a tragedy in which the country was split in two began. At the time of Liberation Day, we would like to share the word in today's text with the hope that we Christians will think about the future of our country and restore the heart to pray for the country.
bsp; To all the members of the church who came to church today amidst the busy and difficult times of life, I believe that you came here hoping to receive comfort, strength, and recovery. That's why you might be wondering if it's appropriate to hear such troubling stories even at church.
bsp; But rather, the saints should be deeply interested in the things going on in the world, sometimes praying, sometimes participating, and sometimes changing the roles of light and salt in the world. God is calling Korean believers in front of Korean history. He wants the members to take the lead to change this history and become a nation where God's will is realized. The saints have a mission to respond sensitively to God's voice in front of this work. Whether we admit it or not, the issue of national and unification is an important issue directly related to us, a problem that depends on the future of our nation, and a problem directly related to the future of our descendants.
bsp; Therefore, believers who believe that God is the ruler of this history should pay close attention to the issue of national reunification, which is closely related to the future of this nation, that is, to my future. And we must pray. In that sense, I believe you should listen to the words of today's text.
bsp; In today's text, we read the pain and hope of Ezekiel who grieves over the divided history of Israel. How is the history of Israel so similar to ours? The fact that they have suffered a long history of being stuck between great powers, that the same nation has been divided into two countries, or that even the smart ones are not so similar.
bsp; In today's text, I hope that you will become believers who see the future and vision of our nation in the vision God showed Ezekiel.
bsp; 1. a country
&nByul 聆?He was a man who passionately loved the nation. The prophet Ezekiel was heartbroken as he saw that he was divided into two even though he was of the same nation and lived in antagonism, threats and hatred. Even so, Ezekiel could not bear to see how small and weak they were, and they were divided into Israel in the north and Judah in the south, growling and wasting national power needlessly on a plate that became a plaything for a great power.
bsp; It is similar to Korea today. In the same way as the North and the South, there is no agreement between the progressives and the conservatives in this region and in the low region. If you give an opinion from one side, the other side will unconditionally object. I'm against it because it's not a matter of the plan, it's a different opinion than mine. It's like looking at our old history.
bsp; There is a very heartbreaking history in our old history. In 1590, Toyotomi of Japan sent a document asking us to negotiate with Korea. Accordingly, the court appointed Hwang Yun-gil (黃允吉) as the communicator and Kim Seong-il (金誠一) as the deputy ambassador and dispatched them to Japan in order to examine the situation in Japan and the intentions of Toyotomi. But when they came back, their reports were different. Hwang Yun-gil, a westerner at the time, reported that Toyotomi would definitely invade Joseon, but Kim Seong-il of a different faction reported that this was not the case at all. This was a report to oppose Seoin's report. Those who were in power at the time adopted Kim Seong-il's report and overlooked the dangers of war. Two years later, the famous Imjin War broke out and the entire country was devastated. What's even more heartbreaking is that 318 years have passed since then, in 1910, the country was completely taken over by Japan. That is why our country is suffering so much from division. It's been 300 years of wasted time.
bsp; Politicians always think only of their rule and power. That is why people need to be alert. Don't just think about what's comfortable and good right now, but you have to judge what's really right and wrong. Where there are smart people, there are smart politicians.
bsp; Ezekiel prayed with pain as he watched Israel growl, divided into north and south while being hit here and there in the midst of great powers.
Where will this people go?
What is the right way for this nation to live?
What is God's will for this nation?
In this deep prayer, God answered Ezekiel. I saw a vision in prayer. God told Ezekiel to take a stick and write Israel on it, and take another stick and write Judah, and then unite the two to become one.
Join the sticks together to become one.
In your hand the two will become one. Ezekiel 37:17
This was the vision of the unification of Judea and Israel, divided into north and south. We see the vision of our nation in this Eschat. Two sticks broken and in pieces--but I see a vision of a stick that should be one.
in all the mountains of the land of Israel
I will make them one kingdom, and one king will rule them all.
They shall no longer be divided into two nations, nor shall they be divided into two kingdoms. Ezekiel 37:22
I wish Korea would be like that. I hope that all of us do not forget to be like that and become believers who pray.
bsp; 2. Peace
But no matter how urgent it may be to bind the two sticks together, it must not be repeated to create hatred by bloody force or fighting. Even if it is God's will to become one, it cannot fully accomplish God's will unless it is God's way. God's way is the way of peace. The biblical way is always the way of peace. God is peace. Where God is, there is always joy, love flows like a river, and peace abounds.
bsp; It also speaks of peace in the world. There are four types of peace in the world.
① Peace of ignorance - There is no problem if you do not know
② Peace of Power - A peace of silence maintained by coercion.
③ Peace of Death - The grave has no sound, no problems, no fights.
④ Peace of Compromise - Peace that yields in mutual benefit / When it conflicts with one's own interests, it is bound to be broken soon.
The peace spoken of in the Bible is not like that. The Bible speaks of the peace of 'Shalom'. Shalom is not a world without fighting, but an active state of sharing love and being together.
Then the wolf will live with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the goat,
The calf and the young lion and the fattened beast are together, drawn by little children... Isaiah 11:6
harmless and harmless everywhere on my holy mountain.
For the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea. Isaiah 11:9
bsp; 3. Prayer
That is why we believers must continue to pray for the world of Shalom. When I was young, there were many people who passionately prayed for the reunification of the country because it was the National Altar and the Gukukdan Foundation. However, even though they are all living well now, you can see that they tend to lean toward prayer for personal wealth and wealth rather than country and people. We should pray together while seeing Ezekiel's great vision and Isaiah's vision of Shalom. We should pray for the future of our country.
bsp; Someone said it. Unity will come like a thief. However, unification must not come like a thief again. Because liberation came like a thief, the country suffered division. Because we came like thieves without even preparing for it, North and South Korea are divided without us knowing, and we are suffering the same pain until now. Unification may come like a thief to the North Koreans, but it must come to South Korea prepared. Be prepared. You need to be prepared financially. You must also prepare to embrace it with your heart. You can't stay with this racist attitude. And we must have a will for unity. In general, when talking about unification, everyone turns away from it. Wouldn't it be better to just go like this? Shouldn't it just be the way it is, and the way it should be this way? It seems that the majority of people who think so. But it will not go on like this, and the future of the country will never be as it is. It will only be used by neighboring powers. Whatever the time, our country must be reunified. You should pray with this will and faith.bsp;
bsp; The history of our country has never been easy. But it's always worked out well. Koreans are very smart and smart people. Japan has achieved industrialization over 200 years, despite the loud noises. That's what we've been following for 30 years. No other country in the world is becoming democratized so quickly and economically successful so quickly. It's not easy economically or politically right now, but I think it will be well established soon. And for that to happen, we should pray and have hope. Our children seem to be spoiled and just like to play, but they are all smart children. I will do everything in front of me. We care for our children as our parents cared for us, but I believe they will do their part in the end. Therefore, I hope that our people, especially our members, will have eyes of faith that look to the future with hope and patience in prayer.
bsp; It is the 66th anniversary of liberation. I hope that it will be a day to pray for the future of the country and people, rather than just remembering it as a day to go out on a public holiday. I believe that the future of this country must be beautiful in order for our Korean church, which has the most passion for missionary work, to continue to fulfill its mission. I bless you that God's miraculous work, working in prayer, will be with you on the future of this country. And may that be your own blessing.